Facebook does track some information about donations made through Facebook Donations tools or Facebook Fundraisers. However, Facebook states that they do not share donation history or use it to target ads. Here’s a quick overview of what we know about how Facebook handles donation data:
- Facebook logs the fact that a donation was made, the date, and the amount – but not payment details.
- Donation history is visible to the donor in their Donations History log and to nonprofit Page admins who received the donations.
- Facebook says they do not use donation history to target ads or share it with 3rd parties.
- There are some exceptions where donation data may be shared, such as with payment processors or if required by law.
So in summary, Facebook does keep records of donations, mainly for functions within the platform like providing donors with receipts and nonprofit Pages with fundraising analytics. But they claim not to use it for advertising or data sharing purposes. We’ll explore the details more below.
Facebook Donation Tools
Facebook offers several built-in tools for making donations:
Facebook Donations
The Facebook Donations feature allows nonprofits to include a Donate button on their Facebook Page or in Facebook Live streams. Donors can then make credit/debit card donations securely through Facebook’s payment system.
When a donation is made this way, Facebook logs:
- The name of the nonprofit receiving the donation
- The date the donation was made
- The donation amount
Facebook does not store or have access to the donor’s payment details – that information goes directly to the payment processor.
Facebook Fundraisers
With Facebook Fundraisers, users can set up campaigns for nonprofits and share them with their network to attract donations. Donations made to Facebook Fundraisers go directly to the nonprofit.
For these donations, Facebook stores the same information as above: receiving nonprofit, date, and amount of each donation. Again they do not receive payment details.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
Users can also create Fundraisers for personal causes or to raise money for friends in need. In this case, the money is collected by Facebook Pay and goes to the individual organizer, not a nonprofit.
Facebook logs the same donation details for these peer-to-peer Fundraisers: recipient name, date, and amounts.
Does Facebook Share or Use My Donation History?
According to Facebook’s Data Policy, they do not use donation history to target ads or share it with third parties. Here are some key points from their policy:
- They store donation history “to provide confirmations, information and support to nonprofits.”
- “We don’t use this information to personalize your experience or send you suggestions for other causes or nonprofits you may be interested in.”
- “We don’t share information about specific donations with third parties.”
However, there are some cases where donation data may be shared, such as:
- With payment processors and fundraising platforms to process the transactions.
- With the nonprofit receiving the donation.
- If required by law or if there are concerns over harmful, illegal or suspicious activity.
Facebook also points out they may use aggregated, de-identified data about donations for purposes like improving the donation tools or evaluating trends. But this data is anonymized and not tied to individual donors.
Accessing Your Facebook Donation History
Donors can view a history of their own Facebook donations and Fundraiser contributions in the Facebook Activity Log. Here are instructions to find it:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click “Activity Log” in the left menu.
- Click “Your Information” at the top.
- Select “Donations” from the filters on the right.
This will display:
- Nonprofits and Fundraisers you’ve donated to
- Date of each donation
- Amount donated
You can delete individual donations from your history using the “Remove” option. But note this does not refund the donation.
Pages that receive donations via Facebook Donations or Fundraisers can also view data on the donations made to their Page. This allows them to identify and thank supporters.
Other Ways Facebook Tracks Giving
Even if they don’t track individual donations, Facebook does seek to understand users’ overall charitable giving patterns and interests. They gather this type of data through:
Page Interactions
When you like, follow or otherwise interact with nonprofit Facebook Pages, this provides Facebook with information about your interests and the causes you care about. They likely use this to target related content and ads.
Shared Posts and Hashtags
When you use hashtags like #givingtuesday or share fundraising campaigns, this indicates you are potentially interested in donating or volunteering. Facebook can glean insights about your preferences from these actions.
Third-Party Apps and Pixels
If you donate through a third-party website that uses Facebook pixels or login, Facebook may be able to match some of that activity to your profile. Similarly, donations made through Facebook-connected apps may be tracked.
Survey Questions
Facebook occasionally includes giving-related questions in surveys and prompts shown to users. For example, asking about frequency of charitable donations or causes of interest. Answering these questions directly provides Facebook with additional data.
So in summary – Facebook doesn’t have access to all your giving history, but they use various methods to learn about your philanthropic interests and behavior in general. They can leverage this to improve their fundraising tools and target relevant nonprofit content to your News Feed.
Conclusion
While Facebook does keep records of donations made directly through its platform, it claims not to use that specific donation history for advertising purposes or sharing with third parties. However, Facebook still utilizes other data points and interactions to understand users’ charitable interests and giving patterns. Donors can access their own Facebook donation history, while nonprofits can view aggregate data on the donations received through Facebook tools. Overall, Facebook aims to collect enough information about users’ philanthropic behavior to improve its giving features and experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Facebook see my credit card details from donations?
No, Facebook does not have access to donors’ actual payment or credit card details. That information goes directly to payment processors when you donate through Facebook. Facebook only logs the date, recipient, and amount of donations.
How long does Facebook keep donation history data?
Facebook stores donation history data until a user either deletes it manually from their Activity Log or deletes their Facebook account. Facebook’s data retention policies can be found in their Data Policy.
Can Facebook tell my friends when I’ve donated to a cause?
Facebook won’t proactively tell your friends about donations you’ve made. However, if you donate to a nonprofit’s Facebook Fundraiser, other contributors to that fundraiser will be able to see your name, photo and the amounts you donated.
Can I donate to nonprofits without Facebook tracking the transaction?
Yes, you can make anonymous donations directly to nonprofits through their own websites or other methods without using Facebook donation tools. That way the transaction is not linked to your Facebook account.
Can Facebook see donations I make offline or on other sites?
In most cases no, unless that site uses Facebook login/connect, pixels or other tools that communicate data back to Facebook. Facebook may be able to infer your offline giving patterns indirectly by data like the causes you demonstrate interest in online.
Does Facebook read my private messages related to donations?
Facebook claims not to read or use the content of private messages for ads or recommendations. However, if you discuss donations or volunteering in messages, the general topic area could theoretically inform the interests and patterns associated with your profile.
Can I request Facebook delete my donations data?
You can manually delete past donations from your Facebook Activity Log. However, completely deleting all Facebook’s data about your giving patterns and interests may not be possible since it is often aggregated or inferred from various sources like posts and page interactions.
Table of Donation Data Tracked by Facebook
| Donation Type | Data Tracked | Visible To |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Donations | Nonprofit recipient, date, amount | Donor, nonprofit receiving donation |
| Facebook Fundraisers | Fundraiser recipient, date, amount | Donor, fundraiser creator |
| Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers | Recipient name, date, amount | Donor, fundraiser organizer |
This table summarizes the donation data that Facebook has access to for different types of donations made through its platform, as well as who can view the history. However, Facebook states it does not use this information for ad targeting or data sharing.
Examples of Facebook’s Data Use Policy
To understand more about how Facebook uses and shares data from interactions like donations, here are a few excerpts from their Data Policy:
On donation history data:
When you make a donation or gift, we receive information about the donation or gift. We use this information for purposes such as processing the transaction and showing you confirmations. We also use this information to operate and improve Donate and Facebook Pay, to prevent fraud, and to conduct internal analysis, including analysis about our users’ charitable giving. We don’t use this information to personalize your experience or send you suggestions for other causes or nonprofits you may be interested in.
On targeted advertising:
We use the information we have about you – including information about your interests, actions and connections – to select and personalize ads, offers and other sponsored content that we show you.
On data sharing with third parties:
We do not share information that directly identifies you (such as your name, email address or other contact information) with advertisers unless you give us specific permission. We may share non-personally identifying information, such as hashed or encrypted information, to match you with an advertiser’s audience or to serve targeted advertising.
These selected excerpts provide some insight into Facebook’s stated policies around using or sharing donation-related data. But you can always refer to their full Data Policy for more detailed information.
Tips for Keeping Donation History Private
If you are concerned about Facebook tracking donations, here are some tips:
- Use offline donation methods like cash, check, or other payment outside Facebook
- Donate directly through nonprofit websites rather than Facebook Fundraisers
- Adjust ad preferences and interests in your Facebook Ads Settings page
- Be cautious about liking, sharing or commenting on nonprofit posts if you want to limit profiling
- Use privacy-focused web browsers that block tracking pixels/cookies
- Periodically review and edit your Facebook Activity Log
Keeping parts of your activity and interests private from Facebook takes some extra effort. But you can take proactive steps like the ones above if you want to limit their ability to collect and leverage your donation data.
Should You Be Concerned About Facebook Tracking Donations?
Whether you should worry about Facebook’s ability to link your donation history to your profile depends on your specific privacy priorities:
Potential Pros
- Donation tracking enables seamless online giving through Facebook.
- Nonprofits can better identify and engage with supporters.
- Facebook can improve its fundraising tools using aggregate data.
Potential Cons
- Facebook may use donation-linked interests to target other content/ads.
- Donors lose some anonymity and control over data.
- Risk of Facebook data mishandling or misuse.
Ultimately it comes down to your comfort level with how Facebook may leverage insights about your charitable giving. If you highly value privacy around donations, you can take steps like donating offline or directly through nonprofit sites. But if convenience is a bigger priority, Facebook’s tools may outweigh concerns over data tracking.
The Bottom Line
Facebook does keep records of donations and fundraising made directly through its platform. However, it claims not to use that specific transactional data for advertising or sharing with third parties. Facebook still utilizes interests and patterns associated with your profile for targeting – so they may indirectly gain some insights about your giving behavior from your activities. If you are uncomfortable with any ability for Facebook to link donations to your profile for tracking or profiling, take proactive measures to keep your donation history private.